Play the Fool
by UsurperOfTruth
Summary: It was rather strange, wasn't it? Taylor noticed that odd things had started to happen around her and it all led back to that weird Velvet Room.
1. Chapter 1

Play the Fool  


* * *

 **  
Fool 1.01**

 **Friday, December 24th, 2010  
Time: Afternoon  
Weather: Snow**

The frigid breeze that whipped against my skin as I walked around the Boardwalk made me thankful for Mom's scarf around my neck.

Of course it had to snow when I decided to go out, however, the fifty dollars in my pocket were a reminder that my Dad had trusted me enough to pick out something I wanted for myself. It was... nice, Dad had apparently gotten some sort of small Christmas bonus for all his hard work and he had decided to give a portion to me. I wasn't sure if it was true or not, but the look in his eye was enough to tell me that it meant a lot to him that he could do something like this... it meant a lot to me too.

Things had been bad, to say the least, at my school since I'd started and only recently had they started to die down, if only somewhat. Christmas Break was a godsend for me if only to get away from school for awhile. A small part of me couldn't help but despair at the fact that break was already half-gone, I quickly buried it so that my good mood wouldn't be utterly ruined. It would be awful to feel like crap on Christmas, I had to at least try to keep positive somewhat. It was much better than any other alternative.

The sound of last-minute shoppers and Christmas carols sang by well-wishers helped motivate me to keep looking around for awhile longer, even if I didn't have anything in particular that I wanted to buy. My school supplies were, surprisingly enough, still intact, and I felt like I had more than enough clothes. With those things out of the way, I wasn't sure what I wanted really. My taste in clothes tended towards darker shaded clothing and things that made me stick out less, the exception being the light gray varsity jacket Dad had bought me and a few other things that I hadn't worn for a multitude of reasons.

The jacket was warm, and I could probably get away with wearing it once school started back up in a week or so if I was careful, though Mom's scarf was a different story. It went well with Mom's scarf, the rose and gray tones mixed perfectly. It had been the first time in awhile that I had hugged my Dad, wasn't that a sad thought I told myself, but even so, I was very thankful for it.

I dragged myself away from those thoughts to get back to the task at hand, finding something that I actually wanted to purchase as a present to myself.

I walked around for awhile just eyeing places up and down, including a few of the shops that had seemingly opened up specifically because it was Christmas. Most of those, I noted, were more Asian themed, probably a result of the influx of Asian people that had ended up in Brockton Bay over the years. Mom, having technically been one of them since her own mother was Japanese and father typical American had given me darker hair, slightly paler skin, and a slightly more Asiatic look. If it wasn't for my other facial features being from my Dad, I'm sure the ABB would've already tried to recruit me. As it was, I flew under their radar. If only that was the same for my other problems.

"Miss!" A sudden shout made me instinctively turn to where it had come from, only to be weirded out by the strange looking... person approaching me.

They were wearing some sort of formal attire, with a yellow apron over top of it with a large mascot plastered over it that advertised what looked to be a lottery or something. The person themselves were very effeminate, with short curly black hair and a cabby hat, I couldn't tell if they were a boy or a girl but they certainly looked... nice.

"Miss! I'm sorry if I'm bothering you, but the store I'm working for is having a small raffle and I was wondering if you'd be willing to participate." He, the voice sounded somewhat masculine I thought to myself, stated politely.

"Eh... um, why me in particular?" I managed to get out after a moment, good job Taylor.

"Oh, no reason really, though the fact that you were one of the few that didn't look like they were rushing somewhere or on their phone certainly made you more likely to at least hear me out. Though, if it's a problem I can-"

"No, no! It's no problem at all!" My Dad had given me an hour or so before I needed to get back to the food court we had designated as our meet-up spot, so long as this didn't take too long I'd be fine. "I'm really not that busy."

"Okay, then follow me for a moment, Miss, our shop is set up right over here actually." He said pointing towards a large stall set up outside of what looked like an antique store. "It's lucky I managed to catch you so close to the stall actually, the few others that I managed to talk to weren't willing to walk too far. Holiday Season sure makes people busy, huh?"

"Oh, yeah I guess," I replied a bit stiffly, having only really talked to a few other people in the last few months made conversations hard. "I haven't really paid attention to it much."

The boy let out a giggle that sounded entirely too feminine at my response.

"I suppose for a young lady such as yourself it wouldn't be much of a problem, though I can attest to the fact that working anywhere during the holiday season is stressful, to say the least. All of those people that end up rushing to buy last minute gifts, or buy presents extra cheap makes things a trial. It's a bit weird for me working at this stall actually, with so few people coming by I've been mostly trying to get people's interest or holding the fort down while Boss does his thing. So how about you, Young Miss, how's Christmas been so far for you?"

"Fine... I'm actually looking around to buy myself a little something, but I don't really have much I want. Also, my name's Taylor, the Young Miss thing is a little embarrassing."

"Okay, Taylor, my name's Natsumi. It's very nice to meet you." He said with a smile as he turned to look at me, just as we reached his stall.

The stall itself seemed to be made very well for something that would end up being taken down in a few days, with large banner's hanging from its top stating that it was a Fortune Telling Stall that was currently holding a raffle. The prizes seemed to mostly be small things, though a cell phone and weird set of playing cards stood out to me.

"Okay," I said feeling a bit more at ease after talking with Natsumi for a bit. "So what do I have to do?"

Stepping behind the stall, Natsumi quickly pushed forward a large brass raffle drum filled with several small balls. The vast majority of them were an eggshell white, with a lesser amount of them being bronze, silver, and gold.

"Simple, you just have to crank this handle until one of these balls pop out. It's set-up so that after 5 or so cranks, one of the balls will drop down from the drum into the small hole in the bottom. A white one is a loss, bronze is a minor prize, silver is a medium prize, and gold nets you a top prize. The odds are a bit against you, but I think that just makes it more fun if you manage to win." They stated with a small smile. "Anyways, whenever you're ready, give it a go, Taylor."

Looking at the phone on display reminded me of... bad memories, but if I won it, it would also mean I'd have a means of quick and efficient contact with Dad or any of the local authorities if necessary. The cards would also be interesting if only to sate my curiosity on what they were exactly, but other than that there wasn't much else that caught my eye. Well, there was only one thing to do. Putting my hand on the crank, I began spinning it slowly, watching as the many small balls inside the drum turned and turned as the drum spun. After a few more cranks the sound of a ball dropping down made me stop to see what I had gotten.

"Huh." Looking down at the small golden ball facing back up at me, I was utterly surprised.

"Congratulations! You won the gold prize, Taylor!" Natsumi announced loudly, I quickly saw a few people turn to look at the sudden commotion and let out a sigh of relief as they continued on with their business soon after.

I couldn't keep the wide smile off of my face despite, my slight embarrassment, I'd actually won! What were the odds?

"So currently we have a prepaid cell phone and a deck of tarot cards as the two gold prizes, though the boss insisted about the latter being included even though it's a bit of odd choice, so you're free to pick whichever you want."

I wavered a bit in the front of my sudden choice.

I hadn't expected to actually win, not many good things had happened to me recently so I had just expected this to be the same. To have actually won felt good, but now I had to pick what I wanted. The phone was clearly the better option, but there were a few things that made it a bit risky. Things like the memories it brought back, and the potential priceyness of keeping it long-term. However, the latter was mitigated by it being a prepaid phone instead of one with a contract, that meant it'd come with a number of minutes on it and at the end of the month I could either buy more or just wait until I or Dad could afford to do so.

The cards were a more curious pick, if only because I didn't really have an idea of what Tarot cards were. I vaguely knew that they had something to do with fortune-telling, but not much else. It'd probably be a waste if I decided to pick them unless they came with lessons or something. Seems like there was only one choice then.

"Could you tell me more about the prepaid phone please?"

"Sure, it comes with 360 minutes already on it and so long as it's being used at least semi-regularly 300 minutes will be added on the first week of each month. Normally, you'd have to have some sort of contract for something like this, but due to this being something of a promotional item the company behind our stall decided against it. So, I presume you'll be picking the phone then?"

"Yeah, I mean yes! Yes, I'd like the phone please." I stuttered a bit, as I held my hand out for the phone. I had to get used to this interacting with other people without getting nervous or paranoid that they were planning to do something malicious.

"Alright then, here you go, Taylor." Placing the plastic case with the cell phone inside in my hand, Natsumi gave me a polite smile. "Well, I suppose you should get back to what you were doing, I wouldn't want to waste any more of your time here when you could be out buying a gift or spending time with a special someone." He said the last part with a wink as he leaned against the stall.

I forced down the small blush that tried to color my cheeks, I didn't have someone like that, not in that way at the least.

"Well, bye Natsumi, good luck with finding more patrons." I waved a bit as I turned to walk away, a pep in my step after the surprising fortune that had come my way. Even the cold air that seemed to pervade the air in the mall wasn't enough to make my good mood sour, I had made sure to dress warmly after all.

I had ended up getting a phone for free, and I still had the 50 dollars Dad had given me. I'd probably save the money for now, or use it to get more minutes on my new phone if I ever ended up running out. More likely was that I'd buy Dad something, I'd have to figure out what he wanted, but if I could do that I'm sure he'd appreciate it. It'd also help close the rift between us if only a little bit I hoped. Things just hadn't been the same since Mom died... it was hard on the both of us, but Dad had taken it the worse.

Things weren't the same, but maybe they could be one day. I held out hope for that at the least.

Walking around for awhile longer I ended up deciding to spend the money on my Dad, I'd already gotten something that was pretty nice. The cell phone actually being a cheap smartphone, something I noted after taking a closer look at it, made it even better. Now, I just needed to find something for Dad.

I wasn't exactly sure what he would want as a gift so I ended up grabbing him a rose colored tie, I hoped that the sentiment would carry through at the least. Even I knew that it wasn't the nicest of gifts, but he hadn't worn the one that Mom had given him in a long time. I hoped that maybe this could help him in some way.

After buying that I decided to make my way towards the food court and wait for Dad, there wasn't much else to do otherwise.

"Taylor!" Looking towards where the sudden shout had come from I could see Dad sitting at one of the tables in the food court. He looked less stressed than usual. Picking up my pace just a bit I quickly made my way over to the table he sat at, noting the Fugly Bob bags that were on the table.

"Hey, Dad," I stated with a smile and surprised myself as I hugged him. He was thrown off tilt for a moment but quickly wrapped his arms around me too. It was nice to know we could still share hugs.

"Uh, what brought this on Taylor?" He sounded slightly confused, and maybe a little concerned.

"Nothing really, but today's been pretty good." Pulling away I smiled at him. "So why are you here early, Dad? I'm pretty sure we were supposed to meet up in thirty minutes or so."

"Oh, well your old man was getting a bit hungry from walking around so much and I already bought what I needed to so I decided to sit down here and wait for you. I'm assuming that it was a similar case for you since you're here too?"

"Yeah, something like that," I said after a moment, my eyes looking down at the bag that held the phone I had recently got. I wasn't sure how Dad would react to it, and I didn't want to stress him out more than he already was. I'd bring it up to him eventually just... not right now.

"Well then, wanna head home kiddo? It's getting a bit late after all."

"Okay, let's go home, Dad."

The mood during the drive back home was warm, though I was getting a little tired. Maybe I'd just rest my eyes for a bit.

It was the sound of a woman singing that roused me from my sleep.

Opening my eyes, I found myself not in Dad's truck nor was I in my bed, instead, I was in what appeared to be a large and dimly lit library. There were bookshelves that went up almost impossibly high to the point I wasn't sure if they ended, several small velvet lounges littered the place, and off in a side room I could see an onyx black piano sit on a small stage. The piano seemed to be playing itself, and I could not see any woman in the place that matched the voice that was singing softly in the background.

I couldn't help the fear that sat in my gut, had I been kidnapped? Or, maybe this was just a dream? I truly hoped it was the latter.

A closer inspection revealed that many books were just sitting on tables as if left haphazardly, and a small layer of dust covered some items. Wherever I was, it seemed like it was either in the middle of being repaired or possibly abandoned semi-recently. Deciding that standing around wouldn't get me anywhere, I started walking around. Maybe I could find out where I was if this was a dream it seemed a little too realistic and wow, didn't that send a shiver down the spine?

With only the sounds of singing in the background as I walked around, the place was becoming gradually eerier. The hairs on the back of my neck seemed to stand up as I walked, it felt like someone was watching me intently. I tried to keep the fright I felt inward, I'd become an easier target if I started to panic right now, and I still didn't know if I was here alone. I had to try and keep myself calm, deep breaths Taylor, keep it together. Just have to figure out where you are and then go from there. One step at a time.

Walking over to one of the larger tables, I wiped down one of the chairs and took a seat. I needed to calm down.

Closing my eyes, I counted to ten as I took some deep breaths.

When I opened them, I had to keep myself from letting out a yelp of fear.

"Welcome to the Velvet Room."

Large, bulging bloodshot eyes stared at me from above an inhumanly large, pointed nose. A... person, I tentatively labeled the strange figure as in my head, had appeared sitting at the table I found myself at whilst my eyes had been closed. His body was oddly proportioned, with long gangly limbs and a long torso, though his head seemed stumpy in comparison. He wore a crisp black suit, white gloves covered both of his hands. He was balding, with long strands of hair that seemed more white than gray, alongside two pointed ears that stuck out on either side of his head. The large grin he sported was off-putting.

I couldn't stop myself from staring.

Seconds ticked by as we stared at each other before the man smiled, his eyes remained unblinking.

"Your arrival here is quite unexpected, this world is filled with such things I suppose. However, this event is not unwelcome," The man's voice was odd, almost theatrical but in a cultured way. "Ah, where are my manners. My name is Igor, it is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"I-um... yeah, nice to meet you," I stammered out after a moment, I had something more important to ask though. "W-where exactly is this place? And why am I here?"

"You may think of this place as one that is a dream, yet not a dream. It exists between dream and reality, mind and matter. Those who enter this room are destined to undergo a Journey of self-discovery to find their own Answer. It is a room that only those bound by a contract may enter, however... it seems you have not done so," The grin on his face widened slightly. "How curious."

Okay... so this was more than likely some weird fucked up dream or something similar, and I had a creepy old man in my dreams. Wow, never thought that I'd ever think anything remotely like this. Why couldn't it be someone like Armsmaster or Alexandria? Why random creepy old man that looks a bit inhuman?

"Do you believe in fortune telling?" Igor said after a moment.

With the way my life was currently, I wasn't a big fan of fate. "No."

"Well then, may I?"

Thinking about it for a minute, I shrugged dispassionately. "Go ahead."

"Well then, let's see what fate has in store for you." With a gesture, large familiar blue cards appeared laying face down on the table. They were tarot cards, specifically the ones I'd seen earlier today.

Why did I have a bad feeling about this?


	2. Chapter 2

**Fool 1.02**

Friday, December 24th, 2010  
Time: Afternoon  
Weather: Snow

 _"Well then, let's see what fate has in store for you."_

Why did I have a bad feeling about this?

* * *

The cards spread across the table with a gesture of his hand into a rough circle along with one card in the middle.

"Each reading is done with the same cards, yet the outcome is always different," He said with a chuckle. "Life itself is quite similar, don't you think?"

Gesturing at a card, it flipped over and revealed itself, I noted in my mind that he hadn't touched it at all.

"The Devil in the Reversed position, it symbolizes the immediate future. It may symbolize such things as bondage or addiction. It indicates a growing awareness of the situation you find yourself in, as well as a growing desire to through off the chains that shackle you. You may find yourself more willing and able to accept changes in your life and you may be more open to taking on new perspectives. However, it is not going to be an easy journey. You will need to battle your inner fears and anxieties to free yourself from the chains that bind you."

I tried to keep my outward expression calm, but inwardly I was feeling nervous. My situation at school could be considered a chain, but even if I wanted to get free it wasn't easy. Emma, Sophia, and Madison made my life horrible on the regular and I had already tried to stop them. People didn't care... and the only other person I could tell was busy with his own problems. I didn't my Dad getting worried about me when he had his own things that he needed to deal, I-I could figure something out eventually.

Another gesture of his hand and another card flipped over.

"The Tower in the Upright position, it represents the future beyond. It indicates that a sudden disaster, a catastrophe if you will, followed by change and regeneration is quite imminent. Perhaps, a situation that shakes your beliefs or opens your eyes to a shocking truth. Your current situation may have made you insecure, afraid and shaken, however, the Tower represents a release from such bondage. With any destruction, creation comes as well."

I could feel a knot in my stomach forming, he got all of that from a couple cards? What did he mean by sudden disaster? Did that mean something horrible was going to happen to me soon? How could things possibly get worst... no, I couldn't let myself get caught thinking about such things, the most important thing that Igor had said so far was that things would change. Maybe that meant school would get better? Maybe it was talking about the situation with... Emma.

"In the coming days ahead of you, you will find yourself faced with many trials, whether they be interpersonal or those relating merely to yourself. They will help prepare you for the changes in your life that are sure to come. You will experience a revelation as you face these things, the gears of fate are turning even now. As a newly honored guest of the Velvet Room, I am sure that you will soon come here again." Igor said as he swiped his hand above the table, the rest of the cards disappearing in an instant.

A sudden wave of tiredness hit me like a sledgehammer, what was happening?

"It seems we are out of time," Igor said with a chuckle. "Time marches on in the waking world, I believe it is time for you to go. Until next time, I await your arrival, Taylor Hebert."

Blinking, I tried to stay awake even my exhaustion grew more and more with each of his words. I could make out Igor mouthing more words, but couldn't hear them.

"—lor." Huh, what was that voice?

"—ke up, Taylor!" Uh, it was really loud.

"Wake up, Taylor!"

I shot up from my bed, startled at the sudden loud voice. Looking around wildly I noticed that I was no longer in that dusty library with Igor, I was in fact in my own room, the familiar dullness reminding me that I hadn't really kept my room decorated in a long while. Had, had that all just been one strange dream?

"Taylor, are you okay?"

Looking towards Dad's worried face made me realize that I must've looked crazy. Taking a deep breath, I tried to put a reassuring look on my face as I spoke.

"Y-yeah, Dad, I just had an odd dream."

"Are you sure you're fine, Taylor, when I got in here you were tossing and turning for awhile before I managed to wake you up. It looked like you were having more than just an odd dream."

"I'm fine Dad, really. It was just a strange dream is all, I just need a couple minutes and I'll be fine. Trust me."

Dad looked hesitant for a moment, like he wanted to argue more, but nodded at me. "Alright, Taylor, I trust you. I'm making pancakes and bacon, so just come down when you're feeling better. Alright, kiddo?"

I snorted at his last line. "Uh huh, Dad. And really "kiddo" Dad? You haven't called me that in years, what's up with the sudden fascination with the word?"

"Hey, you'll always be my kiddo, kiddo!"

I threw a pillow at Dad's grinning face as he quickly shuffled out of the room.

I smiled as I finally got out of bed and stretched, little-popping noises making themselves known each time I moved. It was nice that we could still have moments like that every now and then, even with the bad things that were happening in my life Dad still made some effort to be a constant presence in my life. While we weren't nearly as close as we were before, I think we were recovering a little bit. Walking over to my window, I wasn't surprised to see a fine layer of snow cover the ground and buildings.

"Huh, today's Christmas Eve," I muttered to myself, as I stared out at the city before me.

Last year... Christmas hadn't been very good, both Dad and I had been in bad places and it had been a very quiet affair. We had spent time over Dad's friend's house, Kurt and his wife Lacey. I think even they could tell that the both of us hadn't really recovered by then, and even now Dad was still throwing himself into his job to get by. I... I had the Trio to deal with. We both had our issues to deal with.

However, this year's Christmas... I didn't think it'd be so bad if we could still smile like this.

 **Friday, December 24th, 2010 - Saturday, December 25th, 2010  
Time: Afternoon - Early Morning  
Weather: Snow - Light Snow**

After showering and throwing on a shirt and some sweatpants, I felt a bit more stable.

When I had woken up, I had felt... something. I couldn't exactly describe the feeling aptly, but it felt significant for some reason or other. I decided to shelve the thoughts on that feeling and not drive myself into a crisis about creepy long-nosed old men in my dreams. However, that did nothing to help me get rid of the gut feeling that something was up with the dream that I had last night. It had felt very real, and my natural instinct told me that it was, but that would be crazy to just believe without any other proof. I'd feel foolish if I so easily believed in what Igor had said in my dream that wasn't really a dream.

Ugh, just thinking about it now was getting me worked up a bit, the smell of pancakes and slightly burnt bacon was much more appealing to me than thinking about the cryptic thoughts that existed because of a dream. If it really meant something I'm sure I'd figure it out eventually, trying to figure this out on an empty stomach wouldn't get me anywhere. Smoothing the small crinkles in my shirt, I headed down the steps intent on getting food.

A small Christmas tree with just a few presents rested off to one side of the living room, my box with Dad's tie being placed underneath it. I had the forethought to get it wrapped in the store I had purchased it from so Dad wouldn't know what it was unless he peeked when I was asleep. A brief look at the box made me think that the wrapping was still intact, and Dad wasn't sneaky enough to open it in such a way that it would be impossible tell if he had. At least, as far as I knew anyway, maybe Dad was secretly some sort of cape who was really good with his hands or something?

"Taylor, the food's ready! Also, Merry Christmas!" Dad shouted cheerfully as the pop and crackling sound of bacon being cooked made itself known in the background.

"Okay. And, yeah, Merry Christmas Dad," I said much more relaxed, however, I couldn't keep the smile off of my face that had somehow worked its way there when I wasn't paying attention. Having a chance to get away from my bullies just enjoy some quality time with Dad was... nice. Heh, I haven't been able to say that in quite a while. When was the last time that I felt this way? I shook my head at the thought, it didn't matter right now.

Walking over to the kitchen I grabbed a plate and made sure to grab a nice pile of pancakes from the pan that Dad had stacked them in, and hey, they weren't burnt this time! Dad was improving! Chuckling to myself at the thought of Dad staying up late practicing making pancakes, I grabbed a few pieces of bacon as well and sat down at the table. Grabbing the syrup and drenching my pancakes thoroughly, I took a bite.

The first flavor to hit me was the sweetness of the syrup, quickly followed by the buttery flavor of the pancake itself. The coolness of the syrup and heat of the pancake complemented one another perfectly and only served to bring out the subtle flavor of the pancake itself. I scooped up another bite to replace the one which was quickly dissolving in my mouth, and then another. Before I knew it, all that remained on my plate was dribbles of syrup. Food connoisseur Taylor Hebert, yeah, I could see that happening.

"I'm guessing the food was good then, Taylor?" My Dad's voice chimed in as I debated on getting more pancakes.

I turned my face away to my embarrassment as I nodded but, the blush on my cheeks gave me away. Traitors.

"Your old man's been practicing, I asked Lacy last week to give me a few pointers and I can see that they paid off if my daughter enjoyed them that much," Dad said, he sounded rather proud I thought to myself. "Anyways, I wanted to do this to make up for the fact that I couldn't get off for Christmas, hence why I woke up early to get all this done. Sorry, Taylor." His voice turned apologetic towards the end.

"It's okay Dad, I understand. It's just nice to be able to talk like this," I gestured my hand around, trying to make a point of the fact that we were actually interacting like a family for the first time in awhile. "Like we're..." I trailed off... a part of me not wanting to say anything that could possibly ruin this, scared that I'd say something and then suddenly the gap between us just grows again.

The look on Dad's face though, it makes me think he understood what I meant to say.

"Yeah... yeah." The melancholy in his voice was palpable. Way to go, Taylor.

"Um... so Dad, should we go open presents now?" I said, trying to salvage the mood.

"Yeah, let's go do that." Dad's voice was a bit strained, but I could tell he was trying to not let the mood be spoiled either. "Let me just eat my food first and then we can open presents."

The rest of breakfast was awkward to say the least.

 **Time: Early Morning - Morning  
**

Opening the presents that we had gotten for each other, I also noted a few boxes from Kurt and Lacey alongside of them, most of them being addressed to me and a few smaller ones to Dad. I made a mental note to myself to thank them for those whenever I saw them, they had helped us out a lot but, I hadn't expected them to gift us presents too. Dad had really good friends if they would do that for us.

I opened up bags filled with new clothes from Lacy and Dad, which ended up being a mixture of things that were too girly for me to wear, to embarrasing to wear for various reasons, or fit right into that sweet spot of being wearable at school as they were dark colored. The big thing being the can of pepper spray and Dad's approval on being able to start running in the morning, I had started putting on a bit of a pudge and seeing as I was already rail-thin, I didn't need to make my self-esteem any lower. Besides, exercising would make the little bit of curves I had more prominent... probably? Hopefully? I was probably kidding myself but I could be hopeful, damn it.

As for Dad, he got some tools and a few new shirts. However, when he opened up my gift...

"Taylor..." He trailed off just staring at the tie I had bought for him, a whir of emotions in his eyes.

"Well, you had the one that Mom gave you and I just thought since I didn't know what to get you and that ties were something I knew that you liked and that you probably wouldn't dislike it if I got you one... do you like it?"

"Like it? Of course I like it Taylor, I'd like anything that you got for me. I'll make sure to wear it to work from now on, I love it." The smile on Dad's face was bright, it reminded me of when Mom was around.

Before I could think about it too much and make it awkward, I reached forward and wrapped my arms around Dad. I felt like he needed a hug just as much as I did.

By the time he left for work, there was a spring in Dad's step.

Sitting around the house I fiddled with the phone that I had gotten yesterday.

I hadn't been able to work up the nerve to tell Dad about it, though I planned to eventually. Since Mom had died there had been an unofficial ban on cellphones and for the most part I agreed, but having a cellphone for myself was also convenient. If I ever found myself in a sticky situation having a phone could possibly be the factor that decided whether or not I could get out of it, like calling the police or recording down a conversation between villains or something. Of course, I wasn't stupid enough to do that last one unless it was my best choice, I mean it would be idiotic to start something with a villain when I had no powers.

Thinking about powers, I was reminded of the fact that I had always wanted to be a hero. A hero that saved people, capes like Alexandria. Strong, able to help those in need, and be a force of good. I wasn't any of those things, I had trouble even standing up for myself at this point. However, showing the bullies that I had given up wasn't an option either, I could at least put up a strong front. A part of me bitterly noted that it only seemed to make them try harder to break me, but it was the only thing I could do! ...Right? I didn't want to be a bother to Dad, especially now that things seemed a little better. I could handle the bullies for now, one day I'd figure something out.

"Hmm, what is this?" I said aloud as I stared down at my phone.

I had been in the process of going through setting up an account on it, making sure to read through those agreement forms that most people didn't read. Call me paranoid, but I would like to make sure that whatever I was agreeing to wasn't something that could drastically mess up my life if I did something wrong. However, and odd form had appeared on the phone's screen. Instead of being a stupidly long document which stated what you could and could not do, it was very short and precise. It simply asked for a digital signature to ensure that I accepted any actions that I did as my own along with the consequences that may come from them.

It was creepy, but if I had to take a guess, it was like that so it would be taken seriously. It came off as being kind of edgy though.

Deciding that it didn't matter much I put my first and last name down, and tapped the OK button.

Now what to do for the rest of the day?


	3. Chapter 3

**Fool 1.03**

 **Saturday, December 25th, 2010**

 **Time: Noon**

 **Weather: Cloudy**

* * *

 _Deciding that it didn't matter much I put my first and last name down, and tapped the OK button._

 _Now what to do for the rest of the day?_

* * *

Spending the next few hours on my cellphone, I still felt a bit giddy that I could even say that, was a novel experience.

I had looked thoroughly through the settings and preset apps that had come on the phone to make sure that I had a good idea of what I could and could not do with the phone. It seemed like it was pretty high-tech actually, maybe whoever had made it had implemented some sort of tinker-tech? It made the, admittedly crappy, computer that we had look like a slug and came with something called a "hotspot" which allowed it to create it's own Wi-Fi. It was as advanced as the phones that had been imported from Aleph, if not more so if the bit of research that I had done was completely accurate.

EULA forms were still as tedious as ever despite the upgrades.

Anyways, it was certainly odd to think about.

The chances of me winning a cellphone that was likely extremely expensive along with it maybe being tinker-tech was just abnormal. My life had been plain shitty for the past two years roughly, while a more optimistic person might see this as a bit of a lucky break in-between it all, I wasn't nearly that optimistic. While things had been getting better at school slightly, and the situation with Dad was less tense, I had never been particularly lucky. The situation around this was just a bit too fortunate, and after having some time to think about it by myself, a seed of uneasiness sat heavily in my gut.

I tried to ignore it, I knew too much paranoia and pessimism wasn't a good thing but, it was hard not to fall back on either of those things. Getting up from my lounging position on the couch I stretched, small popping noises accompanying my twists and contortions as well as small moan of relief. I was thankful for the fact that I hadn't taken my socks off, even through them I could feel the cold floor. That was mainly because I was wearing thin socks, but I was quick to blame it on the fact that it was really cold outside. Something that was most certainly true and was one of the reasons that I hadn't decided to go somewhere... well, that and the fact that I didn't really have anywhere I wanted to go.

With a phone that could access the Internet, I didn't have much of a reason to go to the Library unless I wanted a change of pace and, without money, going to Lord Street Market would be a waste for me. The mall a bit further away would also be a waste too. Though, with my sense of fashion, I'm sure I'd just be staring at hoodies and jeans for the most part if I did end up going, a new scarf would be nice too. Dad had gotten me one, it was a velvety blue color, but it would never hurt to have a couple more. Scarves were nice for every kind of weather, mostly. Wearing one when it was raining sucked from experience.

So, ultimately, my dilemma was whether I should be lazy and do nothing today or figure out something that would be a more productive use of my time.

A small ding noise startled me from my thoughts and made me turn an eye towards the door. Someone had rung the doorbell.

It wasn't particularly odd or anything, the mail-woman did that sometimes if we had a larger but I had a foreboding sense of dread sink into the pit of my gut at the silence that followed. Tiptoeing towards the door, I winced every time the floorboards decided to creak. I could walk around normally and be almost silent, but as soon as I decided that I wanted to move quietly the house would act as if it wanted to give me away by being as loud as possible. I had to hope that the sounds were just inward and weren't projecting out of the house. As I approached the door, I could hear a faint tapping noise, like someone was tapping their foot. If they were getting impatient, that was probably a sign of it.

Finally getting to the door, I peeped out the peephole as the sense of dread suddenly left me.

It was just the mail-woman, Brooke, with a small package in her hands as he looked around with a slightly exhausted look on her face.

I felt silly letting my paranoia get to me, I guess the way that life's been treating me so far just has me on the back foot. The chance of good things happening to me with any sort of frequency just seemed ominous, or at the very least kind of worrying. Things had been good for the past few days, since Christmas Break started to be honest, the fear that something could possibly break that streak was looming in the back of my mind.

Deep breaths Taylor, this really isn't the time to freak out, I said to myself inwardly as I calmed my nerves and opened the door.

"H-hello Brooke." I cursed myself inwardly for the stutter, I guess my nerves weren't as calm as I thought they were.

"Hey Taylor," Brooke seemed to pep up a bit as she looked down at me. "Your old man out already? Can't believe they have him working on Christmas, you'd think that they give their boys a break to spend the day with ."

Brooke was a rather large lady, having a rather stocky build whilst being a little over 6 feet tall. Her skin tanned from years of mail delivery and doing a lot of athletic sports when she was younger. Apparently she had been a strong-woman for some time, but had to stop due to a knee injury. The brace she wore now and then let me know that it was probably true. Most important was that she was nice to me and Dad, apparently being a friend of his from back when they were in college. She had told me a few stories that I weren't sure if they were quite true, but Dad was a little embarrassed nonetheless. Despite the weather, the only sign that she was dressing differently was the big varsity jacket she wore. It was a wonder how she hadn't caught a cold or something.

"Yeah, Dad left just awhile ago actually. With how things have been lately, he's had to pick up the slack and try to keep spirits high for the rest of the dockworkers. Though, I think he'll be home early at least." I left it unsaid that he still was grieving about Mom, I still had my own issues there as well. Brooke knew about our situation, though she never seemed to know how to best help, I'd seen her try to talk with Dad before. It was about as ineffective as I thought it would be, unfortunately.

"He better be, or else I'll have to show him the 'ol what for!" She said flexing her arm with a wink.

I chuckled a bit despite myself at the thought of Dad being put in a headlock by Brooke.

"Anyways, here's your mail kiddo," Passing me a few envelopes and flyers, she stooped down gently being mindful of her knee and picked up a small cardboard box. "This package here is for y'all too. I'm unsure what it is, but it's a not very heavy. I could make a few guesses, but I got things to do and mail to deliver, ya know?" A light smile crossed her face, her eyes crinkling slightly as she handed me the box.

She wasn't wrong, it wasn't very heavy actually. Probably only a few pounds max, my mind already started unconsciously thinking about what could possibly be in it. It was more than likely something for Dad, though what could it be? Before I could get drawn into my thoughts too much, Brooke's large hand on my shoulder broke me from my train of thought, my eyes instinctively darting downward.

"I'll see ya later Taylor, you tell your pops I said hi alright," Walking away and down the steps, being mindful of the weight she put on them, Brooke gave a wave even as the pep from earlier seemed to leave her bit by bit. A stray thought raced through my mind, she seemed a bit different than what I remembered. Was something wrong? "Bye!"

Giving a shaky smile of my own, I waved back as she walked away to deliver more mail.

Closing the door after a few moments, I let out a sigh that I didn't know I was holding in. I wasn't particularly nervous or anything, but maybe it was because of my... situation, that I found it slightly hard to really talk much. No, that couldn't be right, I had done okay talking to Natsumi just yesterday, right? ...Okay, so maybe I had been a bit nervous then but this was someone I knew, I had to get myself used to talking to people. While things at school weren't as bad as they had been, I was still barely talking to people there now so my social skills were less than optimal.

Okay, I knew what I was going to do today.

In lieu of the past few days being pretty good by my standards, and the fact that I was quite sure that if I didn't do this my social skills would plummet even further, I was going to go and try to mingle! Or at least maybe hang out around the Boardwalk and see if I could find Natsumi again, the prospect of talking to someone who I knew that at least seemed friendly was a much less daunting task then going to out try and talk to people that I didn't know. It was also probably a smarter idea as well.

I was going to go out and mingle with Natsumi then, I pumped my fist a little bit with the somewhat exciting prospect of actually having a friend to talk to but almost immediately blushed in embarrassment at how goofy I probably looked. Thank god that I was by myself in my house, Dad would've probably tried to tease me or something. It wasn't so bad being awkward so long as no one could see my awkwardness, anyways, I was stalling wasn't I?

Getting the jacket that dad had given me and mom's scarf, I put them both on as good luck charms. It almost felt like Mom and Dad were with me with how warm I felt, it was a... good feeling. It reminded me of better times.

Shaking my head slightly, I stopped myself from lingering on that line of thought for too long. Grabbing my phone and the keys to the house, I pulled on a pair of running sneakers, the snow was light so there wasn't really a reason for me to wear boots. Plus the sneakers were more comfortable. Doing a final inspection of myself I was sure that I was dressed reasonably warm, and looked okay. I was sure even Emma... I was sure that I looked fine.

"Get it together Taylor." I mumbled to myself as I finished putting my sneakers on, it was better to stop myself from thinking about that situation.

My phone let off a startling ding, a notification must've popped up. I'd check it later.

Leaving a small note for Dad saying that I'd be at the Boardwalk if I wasn't back before he got home, I went to the front door and opened it, intent on meeting up with someone who I could maybe consider a friend. As I pulled open the door, I was greeted not by the sight of light piles of snow covering the ground or the sound, instead it was almost as if I had somehow stepped into another world entirely.

"Huh?" I let out a sound of surprise when I realized that something was very off. "Where... am I?"

The town was still there, but it all looked digital, with blue lines all over and in the horizon a black abyss that seemed to go on forever.

Was... was this the work of a cape?

"I think I should go back inside..." Turning around and trying to open the door, my hand seemed to bounce off the door, an invisible wall stopping me from simply going inside. "Of course." I mumbled to myself, bringing a hand to my face in exasperation.

"Of course this would happen when I want to have a normal day, just gotta stay calm Taylor. Keeping a calm head is the most important thing." Saying the words aloud to myself, eased my nerves a little bit. I had to stay calm, if this really was the work of some villainous cape or some accident happening, the heroes were probably already trying to fix it which meant I just had to stay safe until then.

"Well... waiting around won't get me anywhere, I guess I should look around."

If this was a sign of things to come, I was sure that this day was just going to get stranger.


	4. Chapter 4

**Fool 1.04  
Saturday, December 25th 2010  
Time: Noon?  
Weather: Static**

* * *

 _"Well... waiting around won't get me anywhere, I guess I should look around."_

 _If this was a sign of things to come, I was sure that this day was just going to get stranger._

* * *

Before I even moved away from the house, I checked to make sure that I still had my phone on me. It was the only line of communication that I had on me, and if possible a method for me to call quite literally for help. Dialing 911 quickly with rapid taps, I was only slightly surprised that there was no dial tone. If this was indeed a cape's work, they were probably jamming whatever allowed for a phone to send outgoing calls. Hopefully, if I could find a sort of deadzone for whatever was causing this I'd get a signal back, it was wishful thinking but it was at least better than the alternative.

My thoughts strayed back to that odd package that had come right before all of this had happened, a wave of self-deprecation welled up inside me over the fact that I hadn't thought to even check it. I hadn't thought about it much at all, my first thought had been that it was probably a Christmas gift for Dad from someone he knew, however it could've been the cause for the situation that I found myself in now. It seemed stupid of me almost, I resolved to make sure to check the box when I got back, I might've had a lapse in judgement but I could make sure that it didn't happen again at least.

"Just think positive..." I mumbled to myself as I walked down the street in the digital Brockton Bay.

As I walked I kept a lookout for anything of note, there was always a chance that maybe their was something that could give me some sort of hint towards getting out of this place. I wasn't sure if their was anyone else in here with me or even why exactly this had happened. Was it some sort of cape's villainous scheme or maybe just some sort of freak accident that was being fixed as I thought about the situation now? Regardless, I was stuck here until I figure out some way to get out of whatever this place was or someone on the outside figured out a way to get me out of here.

"Grrr..." A low growl startled me from my thoughts.

I whipped my head around to where I heard the sound, looking back and forth to find the source of it. A feeling of panic sat in my stomach as I quickly started to move down the street faster, my eyes darting back and forth as the feeling of being watched sat firmly in my head. I didn't see anything, but that didn't make the panic I felt any less real, and since I didn't know if whoever had created this place had also put in some sort of defence system or whatever, I felt very unsafe right now. Turning my quick walk into a slightly quicker jog, I continued forward, looking around for any sign of an exit.

"-ah watch out." A soft voice rang out, right before I crashed into something.

I stumbled, however possibly as a result of my nerves being on edge already, I managed to react fast enough and right my footing before falling over completely. A small groan came from the ground, that was more than likely a person, more specifically the person I had just accidentally ran into.

"What did I just bump into?" I muttered more to myself than anything as I looked down towards the source of the slight groans.

It was a small... creature. It wasn't exactly an animal, but it looked almost like some sort of small rodent. However, two things stood out about the creature on the ground. One, it's skin was some sort digital black and blue texture and, Two, it had a mask covering its entire face. Also it was almost the size of a small kid, I noted to myself as I stepped back a bit, ready to run if this was some sort of trap.

"Are you okay?" I asked with some hesitation after a brief pause, I hadn't meant to run into the rodent but I also wasn't sure what the heck it was really.

"Yes! Don't worry, I'm fine! Sorry, I was in your way, I didn't mean to be. I have to go, I'll go away now." The rodent spoke hurriedly, its form shaking in what seemed to be a mixture of worry and panic. Its head swiveled back and forth, as if it was afraid that something was after it. That was what came to my mind anyways, it wasn't a comforting thought.

"Wait! Before you go, could you tell me where this is?"

"No! No time, no time! Have to go, _they're_ coming!" Before I could ask who the they it was talking about were, it scurried off into the darkness of an alley-way.

Having gained more questions than answers I decided that it would be best for me to start moving to, if that thing was scared of something, I was sure that sticking around where I was now wasn't the best of ideas.

Taking off again in a quick jog, I was thankful that I wasn't too out of shape. While I certainly wasn't an athlete, despite the lack of muscle I wasn't particularly unhealthy. Maybe after all this, I'd start actually exercising like I had kept telling myself that I was going to do. If life was going to shit on me like this randomly, it would probably be for the best to be in some sort of shape after all.

No, gotta stay positive. Taking a deep breath, I took in the sights of the digital city as I jogged, noting any differences I could see. There weren't many.

I saw more of the small rodent like creatures, all of them seemed to move away from me almost as soon as the noticed that I had my sights on them though. Other than them, their appeared to be no other life in this strange world whatsoever. The sky was a static image of cloudiness, making the entire city seem even more dreary than usual. It was a little unnerving, especially as the feeling that someone was watching me never left. A flicker of red from above made me twitch, something was coming.

I noted with some trepidation that the feeling of being watched that had been my unwanted constant companion for quite a while now seemed to intensify, even though I was completely sure that nothing was behind me. Deciding to err on the side of caution, I ducked into the nearest alley-way. Almost as soon as I did, it felt as if the eyes on me seemed to lessen. I started to move further into the alley-way, but stopped as my ears picked up a noise from where I had just been. Turning my head, I froze as I saw what the sound was.

The red hair and the green eyes were the first things that I noted, even as I instinctively huddled myself inward trying to make myself less noticeable in the darkness of the alley-way. She wore what seemed to be just a normal pair of jeans and a dark blouse, the two pieces of clothing each looking roughed up a bit oddly, however the most important thing was the look in her eyes. Her eyes were cold, and now that I looked at them a bit closer they also were tinted yellow, almost as if she was looking down on everything around her. However, even more worrying was the fact that I could somehow sense that being spotted by her would be more than just bad. I wasn't willing to take the risk on whether or not the feeling was right and stopped myself from walking towards her, despite her being the first human I'd seen.

The person standing there was definitely Emma Barnes, or at least a copy of her a more logical and not panicking part of my brain noted.

She seemed to be looking for something, I noted, though she seemed almost... disinterested. As her gaze started to turn my way, I ducked behind a dumpster that I was immediately thankful, regardless of the smell. Hiding my entire body behind the dumpster, I tried to keep as still as possible, in the hopes that Emma or the Emma clone or whoever that was hadn't seen me.

Time seemed to still as I sat crouched behind the dumpster, trying not to make any sort of sudden move.

It felt like several minutes passed before finally the soft shuffling of feet moving further away down the street made me ease up a little bit, however I decided to wait just a tad bit longer. I was in here by myself, with a fake or not-so-fake Emma, and I didn't have many means to protect myself. The pepper spray that I had gotten, seemed just a bit heavier in my coat pocket at the reminder that it and my possibly my phone were the only two things that could be the decisive factor between me making it out of here alive or not so alive.

After another minute or two passed, I decided that it was probably safe to peek my head out finally.

I let out a sigh of relief at the sight of Emma not being there, and decided that I should quickly move before she decided to come back. Getting up as silently as possible, I took a look down further into the alley and was relieved to note that it led out to another street. I could creep out towards that other side and hope that the weird Emma hadn't decided that she would check the other street or go back out the way I came. I was nervous of the outcome either way, but decided ultimately that it was probably a little bit safer to go back out a different way. At the very least, it would give me a little bit of time to duck back into the alley if need be.

Creeping through the alley-way I noted the lack of smell, while I was thankful for it, it was also another sign that this place wasn't quite right. More and more, I was wishing that I had just decided to have a lazy day and not do anything, I could've just stayed in my house fiddling with my phone, but no. I just had to go out and try to be more sociable. Yes, I was very bitter about this entire situation if you couldn't tell all things considered.

As I made my way the exit of the alley, I made sure to peek out first. I didn't want to be surprised by anything, so doing a bit of preemptive checking of what I may be getting myself into was the least that I could do.

Looking left I saw a few more of the rodent things scurrying off down the street and into other alleys, but little else. Looking right, I was a bit more startled by what I saw.

It started off a bit normal with the average if drab street, but as it went further the pavement cracked as vines seemed to sprout up and out here and there as the area behind it seemed to turn into what I could only describe as some sort of jungle. It certainly wasn't that large, at least from my point of view as I could sort of see the street on the other side of it, but the more important thing was how hadn't I seen this? It was certainly distinctive enough, and was maybe a city block in length, so how? How did I not at least some sort of trace of this place before I had gotten here?

Before I could question more about where this weird jungle popped up from, I noticed _her,_ Emma. She walked out from the street over, and stopped for a moment staring at the jungle. Her eyes turned my way before I could move and I froze. As her eyes met mine, we stared at each other for a long moment, the moment being broken as a smirk worked its way over her face as she flicked her eyes towards the jungle and stepped forward, disappearing into the foliage after a few seconds.

I swallowed hard as I got the message that she was trying to send. I was pretty sure that she wanted me to go in too.

I was sure that this was a bad idea, that it was probably some sort of trick or something. But, there wasn't anything else here and this could quite possibly be my out... I took a step back as my heart seemed to beat faster. I was scared, I could just go and run back to my house, and just wait there until someone on the outside got me out. That and continue looking for another way out were probably my better and only alternatives.

However, I felt like I had to do this, something within me telling me that I couldn't back down. I gripped the scarf around my neck a bit tighter and stepped forward.

All the while, if had looked behind me I would've noted that the shadows of the alleys behind me seemed to stir.


	5. Chapter 5

**Fool 1.05**

 **Saturday, December 25th 2010**

 **Time: Noon?**

 **Weather: Strangely Warm**

* * *

 _However, I felt like I had to do this, something within me telling me that I couldn't back down. I gripped the scarf around my neck a bit tighter and stepped forward._

 _All the while, if had looked behind me I would've noted that the shadows of the alleys behind me seemed to stir._

* * *

Stepping forward into the jungle, I felt an odd sensation as the world around me seemed to distort.

It was only for a second, but turning around I was relieved to see the familiar street still just a little bit behind me, however something worrying was the fact that it did seem just a bit further away than it should. From the knowledge I did have on cape powers, I could only make a guess that it had something to do with the space being bigger on the inside. I think the category would be Shaker? Was that right? I couldn't remember, but I made a mental note that this place was more than likely bigger than it seemed. Clutching the scarf around my neck a bit tighter, I made my way deeper into the strange jungle.

Taking just a few more steps forward, the temperature seemed to shift. Whilst it hadn't shot up tremendously, the previous almost still weather was replaced by a heat that made me uncomfortable. Unzipping the jacket I had worn out of the house, I kept Mom's scarf wrapped around my neck. I didn't want to take it off just yet, it wasn't unbearably hot yet and I... I felt a bit safer with it around me.

Trekking through the jungle, the sound of leaves crunching and what seemed to be a cacophony of bird sounds and such made up the noises I could hear in the background as I tried to make my way through the jungle as quickly as possible. It was the only thing that decisively stood out in this world I had somehow found myself in and it was more than likely my best chance of finding my way out of this mess to begin with. That thought made my strides just that bit more sure as I moved with caution, if this place was anything like a real jungle then getting caught by a big snake, fake or not, would be one of the things I'd want to avoid.

 _Hiss..._

I stopped dead in my tracks at the sound, why did the world have to give me shit even when I was trying to be cautious? Looking around very slowly, I looked for where the source of the sound originated, trying to not move too much just in case that made whatever hiss attack me. It only took a few moments for me to lock on to the most likely source of the sound. Slithering around only a short distance from me was a jet black, shadowy, snake. It wasn't tremendously bigger than what a real snake could be, but it definitely was some sort of Boa. I noted that on its face was a weird blue mask, similar to the one that I had seen on the creature from earlier on.

Thinking of the odd mouse that I had met earlier, I couldn't help but make the connection that maybe the creatures in this world were defined by their shadowy body's and the mask. It was something to think about later when the damn huge snake in front of me went the hell away. It slithered back and forth in the grass for a moment, its mask covered face twisting this way and that as it scanned the area. I could feel my breath hitch as it turned it's attention towards me, the red eyes leering from behind the mask locking onto me and filling me with a sense of dread, like a knot had formed in the pit of my stomach as its gaze stared me down.

I stared at it, as calm as could be, trying to keep a strong front. My legs wobbled a bit despite myself as I tried to keep my feet planted firmly.

It stared back, its eyes staring straight through me.

The moment stretched on for what felt like several minutes, though truthfully only several seconds passed, until it looked away from me and began slithering away.

I let out a sigh of relief and made to walk away, only for the rapid crunch of leaves and twigs coming from behind me to make me turn my head in time to to catch the sudden blur of red that had leapt at me.

"Ah!" A startled shriek left my lips as I tried to stay standing, pinwheeling my arms to try and keep myself balanced with the sudden weight that had latched onto me out of nowhere. Whilst it was far from graceful, the fact that I remained standing upright, if only just so, made me let out a sigh of relief. Looking down at what exactly had just decided to tackle me, I felt my breath hitch when the face of Emma stared back up at me, a grin on her face as if she was the cat that had just caught the canary. Her eyes shone a vivid yellow, something that was clearly different than the Emma I knew. What the fuck was going on?

"Taylor~ It's so good to see you." The words that came out of the clearly fake Emma's mouth caused me to push her away, both in panic and in anger.

"What the fuck?" Vocalizing my confusion as I took a step back, I stared at the Emma in front of me.

"A weakling like you, in a Hero's jungle where she strikes down vermin? Pitiful, though I guess I shouldn't expect any different seeing as you've always been so weak." I took a step back at the vitriol in her voice, my hands shook as I tried to clench them and force them to stop. Even in this crazy world, Emma was still... she was still like this. What a cruel joke.

"Retreating, huh," She stepped forward, a smile on her face that sent a shiver down my spine, "Guess that's all a coward like you can do. All you can do is let those bigger and stronger than you step all on over and put you in the dirt where you belong. You're worthless, a waste of space, a loser, trash."

"I just want to leave why ar-" I tried to interject, but was cut-off as she took a step towards me.

"You're weaker than me Taylor." Her words seemed uncertain, but no less vile. "That's why I have to break you, I have to be stronger. _I am stronger._ I survived, I am a survivor, Taylor. She told me that. You're not Taylor, you should be, but you aren't. You're just a weakling, a scared little twig who's mother died because her daughter was a scared little bitch, who deserved it. Your mother would be rolling in her grave if she could see you now. Now runaway, and go cry yourself to sleep for a week." A saccharine smile stretched across her face as she stared at me with nothing but disgust in her eyes, the tone of mania in her voice. Even if she was fake, even if this world was just some sick creation of some Cape, this Emma's words work like bullets.

Her words stung, and I could feel my cheeks burn as tears ran down them. Why was I so powerless? Why even in this bizarre world did Emma have to betray me! Why did I have to deal with this? What the fuck was I supposed to do? I could run, but as far as I knew she could just run after me, and worse than that I didn't know if there was an exit to this world. So. what the hell could I do?

As tears ran down my face and my vision became blurry, I looked at Emma. She stood there staring me down with joy in her eyes, Emma was bad in real life, but this one... she was even worse. They both had the same look in there eyes, that same glee at tearing me down where I stood. I couldn't stand that look. Here and now with it just being me and her... that rage in me... that rage that signified all of my anger and frustration at having lost my best friend welled up from inside. I didn't know where the hell I was, but I was tired of being stepped on. I took a step forward as my hands shook.

"Oh, you still don't know your place? I gue-"

Her words were interrupted as my fist crashed into her face, the force sending a tremor up my arm as my knuckles began to sting immediately, but more importantly knocking the Emma flat on her ass.

"Shut the hell up!" I roared at the Emma as I glared at her as she stared back up with me disbelieving eyes. "I'm sick and tired of this Emma, I'm tired of you telling me I'm worthless, I'm tired of this constant abuse you and your cronies put me through, I'm tired of wondering if maybe one day you'll stop this shit, and I'm tired of hoping that one day you'll get over all of this and that maybe, just maybe, things will go back to normal!" Tears ran down my eyes freely as I yelled at her, letting out all the build-up from the prolonged campaign of terror that I had underwent until recently they had let up.

"I'm tired of wanting to understand why you put me through hell, but most importantly, I'm sick of waiting to see if I can my best friend back. I don't know if you're some simulation, some sort of copy, or a fake of Emma, but, whoever you are you're not Ems! Neither you or the other Emma are!" I screamed, my words seeming to echo in my ears.

She stared up at me with a confused look, her eyes the seemingly losing a bit of that yellow-gold gleam and becoming closer to that airy grey that I remembered. She stayed like that for a moment before standing up, I noted with a put-out look on her face.

"What would you know?" Emma's voice was weak as she stared at the ground. "The "Ems" you want is a fucked up mess, I've treated you like trash, I've done horrible things to those weaker than me because... that's all I have!" Her voice became manic as her eyes focused on me, tears streamed from her eyes. "I have to be strong, I can't let myself be weak! Not again! Never a **gain!** "

Before my eyes the Emma before me changed, her lower form shifted, elongating and stretching behind her. Her legs conjoined, thickening into one solid structure and paling rapidly as scales formed up and down the sides of what could only be a tail. Her face remained largely the same, however a horn grew from each side of her head and as she stared down at me with a crazed look in her eyes, I could feel my surroundings heat up.

" **Taylor! You're so strong! But, I'm stronger! I have to be! I'm a survivor! I'll prove it. I'll prove that I'm stronger by killing you!"**

Before I could react, I felt myself soaring through the air, her tail having lashed out at me in the blink of an eye and sending me flying backwards. Skidding and tumbling across the ground, I let out a harsh cry as I felt my ankle twist against a root on the ground and a pain that felt like needles shooting up and down my left arm flare up as I finally skidded to a stop. My glasses were cracked in one lens and I could just see make out her looming over me with a devilish look in her eye. She exhaled and I could only stand there locked in place as fire streamed from her mouth and formed into a circle around us.

This was crazy, no this was fucking insane.

The manic look in her eyes let me knew she was serious, deadly serious.

Was I going to... die?

 _It is okay to be afraid._

 _So long as you take a step forward that is all that matters._

 _If you do not do so your tale will end here._

 _You don't wish for that to happen, do you?_

I was terrified, but I didn't want to die.

I placed my good arm underneath me, and as more pain made itself, I pushed passed it and propped myself up.

It didn't matter if she had become some sort of weird beast now, I had meant everything that I had said.

 _Your words were not meaningless were they?_

 _Then stand for what you believe in._

 _Do not tolerate this injustice before your eyes any longer._

 _I acknowledge your worth, so stand now._

 _Call my name, and take thy stand against the for before thee._

Blue flames erupted off of me, my wounds numbing as I found it easier and easier to stand and as I got my feet, I could see Emma backing away.

As I glared at her in defiance, a name seemed to come to my mind in that moment. One that I knew would change everything.

"Jeanne D'Arc!"

As if on signal the flames twisted around me and faded away to reveal a figure in armour that covered all of her body, leaving only her face revealed, standing in-front of me. She stood at least a head taller than me, putting her at six feet easily if not much taller, with long flowing blonde hair that splayed across the flag that served as a cape on her back. In her hands was a was a sword that was half her size.

Standing there between Emma and I, I could see a hint of a smile on the woman's face.

Despite her looking at the beast before her, I could almost feel her eyes on me.

" _I am the one thou, and thou art I, speak your desires and together we shall see them done._ " Her voice was calm and collected as she spoke, a hint of warmth leaking through.

I couldn't help but laugh a bit. "Kick her ass."

" _As you wish._ "


End file.
